knotty

What do you think of this device? seems you could just breathe into your closed fist and vary the resistance by tightening or loosening your hand. The principle seems to make sense though.

knotty

JanMM

Is this trip really necessary? For those of us without impaired respiratory function, I mean. Looks a lot like an incentive spirometer, only more complicated and expensive.

prschaa

I have one from drugstore.com, not much for 48.00/free shipping, but it does give a good workout. I'M sure you could do it with pursed lips, but this uses a dial-in indicator, a way to judge progress and incentive. I think its a nice, effective device but overpriced for what you're getting.

Dchiefransom

If you'e ever been in the hospital for a few days, they give you one to keep your lungs clear. It usually has a ball that you must breathe in hard enough to raise to the top of the tube.

oilman_15106

Here is a cheaper way to improve your breathing. When I was in HS I was part of my track coaches masters degree research. Tape your mouth shut and then run 440 yard dashes. You had to breathe thru your nose and it was hard. No doubt improved your breathing or almost killed you depending on your view. You could do this on a bike also. Intervals up hill would be sweet.

rodrigaj

I would not suggest this technique for anyone. Furthermore....
Your in the fify plus bike forum. If you were a track coach and did that today, you would be arrested, and you would lose your job.
There are so many incredibly stupid things schools did to young people when we were in high school, that it is a wonder we are not all raving maniacs.

Pat

Well what exactly is the point? Human blood is virtually 100% saturated when it leaves the capillary beds via the pulmonary vein (at sea level). Lungs have a fair bit of excess capacity so unless one has damaged lungs or something, you have more than you need.

The limiting part of aerobic exercise is getting oxygen to the muscles. This has to do with limitations of the circulatory system, perfusion of the muscles and maybe not having developed muscles.

I don't believe fooling around with the device shown will be of any benefit unless you have something like emphysima.

stonecrd

I don't really get it either. I guess if you were a shallow breather due to a weak diaphragm maybe this would do something but as Pat says my problem isn't getting O2 into my lungs its moving it to my muscles.

maddmaxx 

VO max is a trainable function.

You would best be advised to go with a professional trainer though.

knotty

From what I gather, this device is supposed to strengthen the muscles that allows you to inhale and exhale, allowing for maximum range of motion of the diaphragm, thereby slightly increasing the amount of oxygen you can take in. So, seems it would get more oxygen to the muscles if it works as claimed.

knotty

oilman_15106

It was not intended to be taken seriously but it is a true story. Must have helped me, I was in the PA class A(today AAA) state track meet 3 years running in HS. I think the breathing restriction helped your body deal with oxygen deficit(kind of like high altitude training).

Pat

Taking in more O2 to your lungs is not the problem for most people. It is getting 02 from your lungs to your muscles that is the problem. So being able to increase your tidal volume (lung capacity) if your blood is already carrying all it can, will make no improvement.

Pat

knotty

So Pat, I understand what your saying. How do you improve the o2 getting from the blood into the muscles? is it a nutrition thing?

knotty

bobkat

Well. knotty, you could use that stuff that they give cancer patients that increases the red blood cell mass! Can't remember the name of it, offhand. You know, the stuff that's banned in professional sports. OR, you go and donate some blood several times, pay a huge amount for this service and have it all banked, then have it transfused back into you when you think you need the extra 'push!' This is of course banned everywhere, too! Both of these things are dangerous by the way.
OR, I suppose you could go live on a mountain at 15,000 feet, spend a few months acclimatizing, then descend to your usual altitude you ride at. That would raise your hemoglobin temporarily, too.
Or you could get unlucky and get a cancerous blood disease called polycythemia rubra vera which causes your red cell mass to increase greatly, finally sludging in some artery causing a stroke or heart attack if untreated. Not a pretty alternative, either.
Can't recommend any of the above..
The best way is to go out, jump on the bikes and ride, ride, ride! I can sure recommend that! Besides, it's fun!

CB HI

Epo

knotty

That's right, Epogen. I'm familiar with it because I gave it to my kitty that had kidney disease in 2005. One of the effects of kidney disease is anemia. It's amazing stuff, the HCT went from a low of 14 to 35 (normal) in about 3 weeks.

knotty

JanMM

erythropoetin.

Pat

Well, not usually.

About 30%-55% of the volume of the blood is red blood cells. In the red blood cells is the oxygen carrying pigment hemoglobin. Hemoglobin becomes virtually 100% oxygen saturated in the lungs so having more lung volume would not help. Virtually all of you hemoglobin is already got oxygen. The limiting factor is the amount of hemoglobin.

Interestingly enough, some people seem to naturally have higher red blood cell volumes (hematocrits) than others and thus more hemoglobin in their blood. These levels can be boosted by either taking epogin or by training at high altitude. I suppose having very low iron levels in the diet would decrease hemoglobin too but that is not a problem for most people.

There is a gender difference in average hemoglobin percentages in blood. Women tend to be about 33% lower than men (if I recall the figures correctly). I believe this difference accounts for a large part of the difference observed in cycling performance between men and women.

snavebob

I think the Fifty Plus forum should be renamed to the "Alice's Restaurant" forum because you can get anything you want here. I have never heard of a breath exerciser. I thought excercising your lungs through riding would be sufficient.

Amazing!

pdq 5oh

Wouldn't a big part of all this be aerobic exercise (riding a bike)? Improve the cardiovascular system; improve the body's ability to move oxygen to the muscles, and lactic acids away from them.

JanMM

Gas exchange/oxygen transport is the ticket.

dorosz

You could also try Yoga 4/7/8 breathing...Breath in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, breath out strongly (say ha) for 8. Its very good for emptying the lungs of CO2 etc and of course does some of the same things as the tools without the cost of tools

prschaa

The cool is, that after playing with it for a couple of weeks, is that I am getting stronger and moving up the scale. Does that mean it's helpful for sport specific function?, probably, which sport? don't know, but it's something to do a few times a day while sitting around during down time.
It's a resistance exercise, that, for what it's worth shows you your progress in a numerical scale and strengthens intercostals. I think anything you do that's difficult at first and gets easier as you continue is increasing strength in one way or another.
BTW stanozolol (winstrol), an anabolic steroid will also increases RBC count in your kitty as well as building muscle and increasing appetite. ( in the medical field not user). Also used in renal failure with related low red cell counts, and VERY widely abused, but with less disastrous effects then EPO.